chef-repo in your Chef Workstation is a directory that holds all details about cookbooks, environments, roles, and data bags.chef-repo is like source code and need to be synchronized with version control SYSTEM like Git.chef-repo has following directories and files

• .chef folder is a hidden folder that stores all validation files required for authentication between Chef node, Chef Server and Chef Workstation.
• cookbooks folder to store all cookbooks used by Chef Client to configure Chef nodes. While using "knife upload" cookbooks from this folder are updated to the Chef Server
• data_bags folder to store all data bags created for an organisation. A single data bag creates a subfolder with a JSON file.
• environments folder is used to store all details about VARIOUS environments available in the Chef Server.
• roles folder CONTAIN all definitions of various roles available in the Chef Server.
• Chefignore file is used to ignore unwanted files like swap files, version control data, build output data so that these details don't get UPLOADED to Chef Server. Wild cards like ?*,** COULD be used to specify ignore patterns in chefignore files. This file could be located on any sub-folders in chef-repo.